Tasting Report: Wines of the Santa Rita Hills 2011

Made famous by its appearance in the film Sideways, the Santa Rita Hills area near Santa Barbara is still riding high, thanks to a continued focus on quality winemaking, particularly in the realm of its storied Pinot Noirs.

Recently a dozen or so wineries from the Sta. Rita AVA trekked up to San Francisco to show off their wares, giving the Pinot-happy crowd a chance to try wines from a few old favorites and a number of newer wineries. Overall I was quite impressed with the quality on display, particularly with Pinots from D’Alfonso-Curran, Foley, and Zotovich, all showing off that textbook So-Cal character, rich with satiny fruit while exuding real terroir.